The gasoline powered lawn mower is a popular machine for both homeowner and professional use. It comes in two basic styles, the walk-behind mower and the riding mower. The choice of style depends upon the size of the lawn to be mowed, the budget of the user and whether intended for homeowner or professional use. An intermediate style choice is between a power driven walk-behind and a push-type walk-behind. Riding mowers are also available in front engine mount and rear engine mount styles.
All of the described mowers are arranged with a main body, four wheels and a gasoline engine. The cutting blade is generally mounted beneath the body and driven with the power output shaft of the engine.
As with all gasoline engines, it is necessary to periodically perform service operations on the lawn mower engine. Basic to this service is the changing of the engine oil which becomes dirty as the engine is used. Due to the dirt accumulated and to the heat which is generated by the engine, the lubricating properties of the oil deteriorate and the major engine parts may become subject to excessive wear. Failure to change the oil in a reasonable time could result in engine damage and costly repairs.
When one takes an automobile to a service station to have servicing done, particularly changing of the oil, it is generally done with the car placed over an oil collecting receptacle. This may be accomplished by raising the car on a lift or by having the oil collector in a pit which is lower than the car.
In the case of a walk-behind lawn mower engine, the draining of oil and other service functions are generally done by turning the mower upside down or holding it in an inclined position with one hand while attempting to work with the other hand. Since the oil drain plug is typically located under the mower, this is a difficult procedure.
In the case of a riding mower with a front mounted engine the oil drain plug is usually placed at the lower rear of the engine. One can drain the oil without changing the position of the mower, but this results in the oil flowing over the lower rear portions of the mower and making an unnecessary clean up job. It is also more difficult to collect the oil if it is drained in this manner, meaning it will either drain into the earth and cause environmental damage or onto a driveway and cause more cleaning chores. In the case of a rear mounted riding mower engine the engine and mower are typically serviced by tipping the entire mower ninety degrees and supporting the mower on a pair of support brackets typically mounted on the rear of the mower. The oil drain plug at the rear of the engine for a riding mower with a rear mount engine thus becomes readilly accessible.
These problems are real for the individual owner of a lawn mower, but they are magnified significantly when taken in the context of the lawn mower service and repair shops. These shops do operations as described above on mowers many times a day and have much greater quantities of oil to handle. In addition, service often includes the sharpening of the blade, tightening of drive belts and general cleaning, which operations, whether done by an owner or a professional, require easy access to the bottom of the machine.
Keeping the description above in mind, it is an objective of the present invention to provide a servicing assembly which will enable the safe and easy repair to the underside of a lawn mower.
It is another objective of the present invention to provide a servicing assembly that simplifies the simple collection and control of the oil being drained from a mower.
It is a further objective of the present invention to provide a servicing assembly that is useful with both walk-behind and riding mowers.
These and additional objectives will become apparent as the disclosure below is discussed.